Panic on the Heroic
by rainbownostalgia
Summary: Tribute to the Titanic for its 100th anniversary of the sinking. SousukexGauron. Shounen-ai; don't like, don't read!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is a disclaimer. None of the characters in this story belong to me, and neither does the manga/anime. **

**This story was based on the _Titanic_, a ship that sank exactly 100 years ago from this day. I wrote this story as a tribute; many inaccuracies are found in the facts in here, therefore please don't be offended _Titanic_ fans...^^; (I am one as well, but there are just some things that aren't recorded in history). I wrote this because there needs to be more love for Gauron and Sousuke. I've made a bunch of notes, all marked with an "*," therefore if you care to see them (though I'll try to refrain from making too many notes for those who don't like to see them), scroll through to the bottom after reading. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

-CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT: FOR YOUR EYES ONLY-

_To the residence of Sergeant Sagara Sousuke_

Sousuke,

I know you've been working hard both at school and at home protecting Miss Chidori. I've decided to grant you a few days of break from your mission. Kurz and Melissa have agreed to this as well, and will be taking over your duties.

You'll find a ticket included in this envelope- use it to take a rest and relax once in awhile. Best wishes.

_Teletha Testarossa_

_Captain of the Tuatha de Danaan_

P.S. Unfortunately, I can't come along with you this time…but I'll be sure to be there the next time we go- together!

P.P.S. If you don't go, I'm demoting you.

-END DOCUMENT-

* * *

The dreadful words stare back up at me from the page as I read it, over and over again.

_Captain…I know your intentions are well meant, but who ever heard of taking a vacation in the middle of an important mission?_ Sighing, I reach inside the envelope in which the letter came from and warily pull out a ticket hidden in the corners of the stiff, navy blue cardstock, that's printed with the formal seal of Mithril. They must've insisted that the Captain send all her messages this way, for she was rarely formal when the matter at hand included only the two of us alone, something that was often painfully embarrassing.

A bright whirlwind of colors jumps out at me from the formal, glossy ticket. "_Heroic*_- one of the fastest, finest, and safest liners of all time. The _Heroic_ will be sailing from the Osanbashi Pier* on April 14th. FIRST CLASS PASSENGER TICKET #17754-C62," it reads.

_What a nightmare. I haven't got time for pretty little boat rides when I'm on a mission._

Setting aside the ticket and its companions on the kitchen table, I slump into a chair just as Melissa arrives from her grocery shopping.

"I'm home!" She calls cheerfully. She must've bought a load of alcoholic drinks.

Not too thrilled to see her (for she had condemned me to this fate), I get up and walk into the front hallway. "Melissa," I say, my voice even, "have you heard about this?" I hold up the unwanted ship ticket. Coming closer and setting down the bags she brought back, she peers at the ticket, then at the envelope, then glances at my face. I try to keep it expressionless and devoid of emotion.

Sighing, she walks past me, relocating the bags onto the counter. "Lighten up Sousuke. You're always so stiff." She pops open a can of beer and takes a long, heavy swig. "Really, this is the first vacation you've had in like…" A pause. "…years."

"Untrue," I retort. "There was that time when…"

My voice drifts off into the still, empty air. Nothing seems to come to mind.

"When what?" She prompts, expecting an answer.

"When…when we all gathered on the _Tuatha De Danaan_ last year," I falter for a moment. "The captain threw a party."

Melissa rolls her eyes, exasperated. "Is Mithril your life or something?" She throws up her hands in the air. I flinch. "I'm not saying that you shouldn't be passionate about your job, but when your life is fighting in the military, you don't get to see the beauty of the _normal_ world." She guzzles down the rest of the beer, then wipes her mouth on her sleeve.

"I haven't got time to see the normal world. I've got to protect Chidori. Besides, you're forgetting that I _have_ seen the normal world. I go to school everyday."

Melissa stops what she's doing and stares at me for a long, long moment.

"You're hopeless, Sousuke," she replies finally. "I haven't got anything to say to you except to go on that cruise." And with those last totally deadpan words, she turns her back to me, signaling the end of the conversation.

Feeling totally resigned, I fall onto the floor, my heart as heavy as a weight. Why didn't anyone understand? Something could happen to Chidori while I was gone and while Kurz and Melissa were off guard. With the three of us here, we'd have a better chance of surviving if some terrorist group targeted Chidori. And what if Gauron showed up?

Gauron.

_Gauron._

The name brings up a sting of memories, as well as a tight clenching feeling in my stomach. Ever since he first hijacked the plane with Chidori and her classmates inside, he'd been showing up and messing with my plans at the most inconvenient times. It was as if he was taunting me. No, I was certain that he was. I could even hear his voice in my head, saying, _Kashim, Kashim_ over and over again.

The name didn't mean much to me anymore. It was just a part of the past that I'd left behind when I became "Sousuke." But the way Gauron said it left a ring in my head after every time he did. Even long after he was gone, I could hear his rough, yet smooth voice lingering in my head, teasing me, mocking me, stirring up a rainbow of nostalgia: _Kashim, Kashim. You'll never catch me. You're mine._

…But the idea of Gauron being alive had to be utterly ludicrous. Surely the man was dead.

Right?

After that last clash in Helmajistan with our Lambda drivers, I had definitely finished him off. Even a man with bit of titanium stuck in his head, and a bit of luck, and perhaps a bit more of skill couldn't keep evading death.

Right?

Then why was I feeling so unsure?

…And why did I feel as if I wanted to see him alive?

_I must be going insane from this stress._

* * *

The days passed by quickly, and soon the doomed day of April 14th* rolled around.

"Make sure you've got all your stuff," Melissa reminds me, gently, although my mood on the ride to the pier was quite foul if I had to say so myself. Kurz pushes open his door and helps me lug my bag out from the trunk of the car.

"You didn't have to help me," I say. "I haven't got much."

This was true. Perhaps I was accustomed to traveling long distances with little or something, but I only had a single bag that contained my spare clothes, equipment to maintain my hygiene, and of course, a few guns and hand grenades. Melissa had grumbled when she saw me packing them in last night, but said nothing.

"Yeah, yeah, just remember to have fun!" Kurz slaps me on the shoulder, sporting a broad grin.

"Make sure to enjoy it for both of us too," Melissa winks. Then she shoves my bag into my hands and shoos me toward the pier. "Hurry now, you don't want to be late."

I take a few steps toward the gigantic, gleaming liner. "Here we go," I whisper to myself. I glance my back over my shoulder one final time, hoping for a way out. But Melissa and Kurz are gone. A sigh escapes from my lips involuntarily.

A crowd of passengers line up to file onto the stairway leading into the ship. Looking around, I notice that nearly all of them look rich, carrying huge gold purses and wearing precious stones on each finger. _Figures_, I think. _Only the rich have the money and liberty to spend their money on such a ridiculous affair as a cruise._

I train my eyes upwards, looking to the crew of the _Heroic_. They are lined up, too, and their bright white uniforms and white sailing caps make them look more like naval officers than crewman. One thing to be relieved about. Perhaps if a crisis came, I could rely on the crew to be efficient and decisive. _I wonder how their captain is._

Scanning their shirts for the traditional captain's emblem (four golden stripes), I finally spot it on the sleeve of the man at the end of the line, furthest from me. His stature was tall, and he seemed lean and firm. I could spot a few scars running the length of his arm. _Good, he's got some experience. _

I try to catch a glimpse of his face, but his cap obscures it in shadows. Somehow, though, the contour of it seems awfully familiar…

Startled, my eyes widen as the captain turns his head directly my way. Perhaps he felt the weight of my stare. He reaches for his cap, and then lifts it, saluting me, but also lifting the shadows from his face.

_This can't be happening. I must be dreaming._

My heart stops in horror as Gauron flashes me a grin, waving his captain's hat.

* * *

*_Heroic- _not a real ship. I named it this way because the _Olympic_ was named after the Greek Olympians, the _Titanic_ after the _Titans, _and the original name of the _Britannic _was to be the _Gigantic _(believe it or not, after the Giants). All of these ships are sister ships, owned by the White Star Line. Therefore, you can kind of guess by now that the _ Heroic_ was based on the Greek Heroes.

*Osanbashi Pier- An international pier located in Yokohama, Japan. I chose it because it's the closest one (I believe) to Chofu, Tokyo, where Jindai High School (the fictional one based on a real one in Chofu) is located.

*April 14th- This isn't the actual date that the _Titanic_ set out on on its maiden voyage (April 10th). It's just that the story would've dragged on a bit too long for my liking if I set it at April 10th.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Hey, watch it."

A broad, rich man carrying several large bags that seemed proportionate to his weight grumbles as I begin to fall back onto him.

"My apologies…" I reply faintly. All the strength has been sapped out of my muscles upon seeing that familiar face. Shock renders me utterly vulnerable, and if even a common thief had run by me and aimed his gun at my heart at this moment, I probably wouldn't have reacted.

What if I make a dash for it?

It would be my last chance to escape the ship and its leering doom. Perhaps if I explained the situation to the Captain, she wouldn't feel too hurt about my rejecting her offer. And Melissa wouldn't have anything to say to that either- she would probably hightail out of here as well if a dangerous violent terrorist were the captain of her ship.

But… as a soldier in the military, my number one duty was to the people. And if a treacherous risk were at hand for them, it would be my duty to do my best to stop it. It's this last thought that keeps my feet glued to the pavement.

_Vrr, vrr. Vrr, vrr._

An uncomfortable vibrating feeling in my pocket jars me out of my thoughts. I reach into my pocket and pull out the mobile device in which Melissa insisted I take along to further achieve the "normal people feel," end quote.

"Hello?" I say, unsure of the person on the other end of the line, as the number calling was unfamiliar.

"Sergeant Sagara." A female voice replies.

"C-captain Testarossa!" Astonishment fills my voice. _Why would the Captain be calling me?_

"Sergeant Sagara," She repeats seriously and cutting directly to the chase, "are you at the Osanbashi Pier right now?"

"Y-y-yes ma'am. I appreciate the break that you have granted me, Captain," I continue stiffly, trying to find the right words to please her.

She doesn't say anything for a long, dark moment. _Had I said something wrong?_

Finally, the Captain continues. "Listen, Sousuke, I never granted you any vacation, as you may have believed I did. In fact, I never even sent you a letter," she whispers hurriedly. The sudden change in formality stuns me, but in an ominous way. Her serious tone and heightened pace states in itself that something was out of place.

"W-What do you mean?"

"She means, Sousuke, that Mithril isn't the one who sent you that letter." Melissa speaks loudly and briskly into the phone.

Melissa? Why was I hearing her voice?

"I called Tessa right after you left to tell her that you'd accepted her offer and were about to board the ship, but she didn't have a clue as to what I was saying. So we decided to get you on the line and discuss what's happening."

"But…" My face turns pale. "But didn't you know about the plan beforehand? I mean, you and Kurz supposedly knew about it as well. And how are you and the Captain on the line at the same time?"

"It's called a three-way, Sergeant Serious, and no, when I saw the ticket and the envelope, I just naturally figured that Tessa was the one who sent it," she admits sheepishly.

"Sousuke, you have to get out of there now," Captain Testarossa cuts back in worriedly. "We don't know who's set this trap for you. They may be targeting Mithril, or worse…your life." Her delicate voice has toned down to a whisper in concern for my well-being.

"Actually, we do."

"W-What?"

"Actually, we do." I repeat quietly, but more surely now. In fact, I'm certain I know who the culprit is. And perhaps if I told her, her mind would be more at ease. Then again, what were the chances of that happening, considering the madman who we were going up against?

"_What?_ Who?" Melissa screeches into the phone. I wince, holding the device away from my ear for a moment to regain my hearing before resuming.

"It's Gauron."

There's a moment of silence. I can tell that the thought running through their minds is, _Impossible! Gauron should've been killed already back in Helmajistan! There's no way he can survive that many times!_

"Somehow, and don't ask me how, but he was able to deflect the attack from my Lambda driver and obscure the fact that he was still alive. I honestly and truly don't know how he managed it- I gave my all into that last attack. But I just know he's here, and worse, he's the captain of the _Heroic._"

"He's _what? The captain? _Why didn't you tell us earlier, Sousuke?" Melissa is furious.

"I didn't find out until just now. I was going to tell you…but you kind of beat me to it."

Finally, Captain Testarossa speaks up, her voice wavering slightly in fright. "Are you sure, Sergeant Sagara? Would you swear on your honor as a soldier?"

"I swear, Captain."

"And knowing you, you're probably thinking that you can't leave _because_ of your honor as a soldier, correct?" Melissa interrogates. "You're thinking that it's your sole duty to protect the ship passengers from encountering any harm, right?"

"Sousuke, please don't do this!" Captain Testarossa cries out.

"I'm the only one capable right now, Captain, of stopping Gauron from committing anything serious- or even anything minor," I state in a gentle voice. "Please, Captain, I'll be sure to keep track of his activities, and I'll try to stay away from him as much as possible. Rest assured. I definitely won't fail you."

Melissa and the captain contemplate my words and the tone of my voice. When Captain Testarossa speaks again, she sounds tired and resigned.

"Alright, Sousuke. But just understand that I'm worried, that's all. I trust in your abilities- you're one of the finest soldiers I've met…" The Captain trails off into silence for a moment.

"…but be sure to come back, no matter what." This last statement is spoken in a barely audible whisper.

"Of course. And if there isn't anything else…?" I inquire in a steady voice to reassure her.

"No, that's it. Call Melissa and I anytime you need to. We'll be seeing you later."

I snap the device shut and stuff it back in my pocket.

The line moves along slowly but constantly. In a matter of minutes, I've reached the threshold of the giant hunk of metal.

"Please watch your step. We hope you enjoy staying with us on the _Heroic_," a cruise attendant lady says in a monotonous voice.

Stepping onto the finely carpeted floors of the ship, I look around, taking in the luxury that never before had I experienced. Several thoughts run through my head as I do this, mainly revolving around one: _This is enemy territory now_. I was going to have to be on my guard 24/7, if not already.

My last glimpse of freedom for many, many days disappears behind me as I follow the current of passengers deep into the belly of the monster.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Was it this hallway? Or hadn't I already gone this way?_

Frustrated to the point of insanity, I desperately retrace my steps, trying to find cabin C62*- the one marked on my ticket. But it was nowhere to be found. I'd always been admired for my ability to quickly adapt in any situation, but I suppose the battlefield was quite different from a cruise ship.

Why can't they at least have any crewmembers to-ah!

At the far end of the hallway, a stewardess in a short white skirt and white cap is knocking on the door of another cabin. I sigh with relief and saunter up to her.

"Excuse me, ma'am," I start politely. She has her back turned to me, apparently waiting on someone inside the closed cabin door, who is stirring up quite a racket.

"Ah…yes, what is it?" She turns and smiles at me amiably, just as the door to the cabin opens.

"Was there something you needed, Katherine?" A voice drifts into the hallway from inside the room. I freeze immediately. _It can't be…_

"Just a moment, Captain. I've got a stray passenger here," the stewardess named Katherine replies.

I inwardly suppress a groan. _Great, so much for trying to keep away from him. Within the first ten minutes aboard, I'd already managed to do the opposite. _

"I-it's nothing," I say quickly, eager to get out of there. I'm already backing away as I say this.

But just then, a head pops out of the doorway. My blood runs cold as I trace the long jagged scar, the stubble on his chin, and the arrogant arch of his eyebrows with my eyes.

"My, what a surprise it is to see you, Kashim," Gauron says with mock surprise as he locks eyes with me, his shining with amusement.

"Oh, are you two acquaintances?" Katherine glances at my face, then Gauron's.

"You could say that," Gauron replies sweetly. "But I'd say we're _closer_ than just acquaintances, wouldn't you Kashim?" He grins at me. I resist the urge to slap the grin off his face.

"O-of course," I mumble softly under my breath. _Bastard._

"Well, a friend of Captain Gauron is a friend of mine." Katherine pauses. "By the way, was there something you needed earlier? I'm sorry, I was quite busy and didn't notice. You seemed quite desperate, though." The stewardess offers a concerned smile.

I snag this as a chance to escape. "Ah, I was looking for my cabin. C-62. Have you seen it?"

Confusion clouds her face. "C-62? Well that's strange…C-62 is Captain Gauron's cabin…perhaps the crew in charge of printing the tickets made a mistake…"

Gauron cuts in smoothly. "No, no. There was no mistake. I arranged it this way on purpose. You see, Kashim is my foster son."

"What the hell-" I start.

"We've been separated overseas for quite awhile now. I just wanted to get to know him better. Is that too much for you, Kashim?" Gauron turns his fake remorseful eyes on me, then on Katherine. The attendant swoons.

_He's lying! Don't fall for it!_ I think furiously.

"How tragic…" Katherine says sadly. "Perhaps I should leave you two some time alone to get to know each other better."

No! Don't leave me here with him!

I open my mouth in protest, but Gauron, as quick as ever, replies (not forgetting his dramatic act), "I would greatly appreciate that, Katherine. Thank you for understanding. Now, Kashim, follow me. I have much to show you." He puts an arm around my shoulder and leads me into his cabin as the stewardess turns and hurriedly walks down the hallway, deep in her emotions.

As soon as we're out of earshot, I growl, "Get your filthy arm off me," violently shrugging it off before he can do it himself.

"How hurtful, Kashim. You don't treat your foster father this way." Gauron wipes away a nonexistent tear. "Papa is sorry that he left you for so long."

"You're _not _my father. And I'm _not_ sharing a cabin with you."

Disgusted, I turn to leave, but then Gauron slams me against the wall, his arms on either side of my face. I wince as my head is shoved against the hard metal, sending stars across my field of vision.

"I would suggest you be a bit more cooperative, Kashim," Gauron croons softly in my ear. I shiver at the frostiness in his voice.

"D-don't tell me what to do," I say, trying to sound defiant and keep my voice steady at the same time.

"Well now, I guess I can't do that." Gauron lifts his arms from around me, raising one up to his chin in thought. A cruel grin suddenly slides across his face. "But you know, there's about two thousand people on this ship. I wonder what would happen if we accidentally caused an explosion in the engine rooms that would sink this ship…?"

"Y-y-you wouldn't!" I splutter.

"Kashim, have I ever made an empty threat? I thought you knew me better than that," Gauron shakes his head, smiling.

"You're a coward, hiding behind hostages to protect yourself. Just like that time you hijacked that airplane. Always relying on others to save your sorry ass."

Gauron just laughs at my statement. "Perhaps you're right. Perhaps I'm just doing it because I'm…what's the word? Incompetent, yes that was it." He pauses, still smiling. But in an instant, the smile turns into a cold one. The temperature in the room drops by fifty degrees in a matter of seconds as Gauron ponders his next words.

"Or, perhaps Kashim, I'm just doing this for the fun of it. How about that?"

Gauron smirks at the look of utter shock on my face, though inwardly, I can't say that I was _too_ surprised.

What do you expect from a mad terrorist?

Gauron slides into a white jacket, buttons it, then places his cap onto his head. He walks past me to the door of the cabin where he stops.

"You can unpack your bags in the corner. Dinner's at seven sharp. I'll be back before then to advise you on what you'll wear, considering the fact that a Mithril dog like you would probably show up in your military uniform."

Then he strides out of the room, wearing all the confidence in the world.

* * *

*C62- This was actually the cabin number of John Jacob Astor, the richest passenger aboard the _Titanic_. He was lost in the sinking. (Also, if you'll notice the ticket number in the first chapter, 17754, was also his ticket number).


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As promised, Gauron shows up a little before seven, carrying with him a lidded box about the size of one used for pizza, except taller in height.

"What's in the box?" I ask suspiciously. I'm sitting on the edge of the bed, glowering at Gauron as he sets the mysterious package down beside me.

"Strip," he orders. Then he turns and heads for the bathroom, pointedly ignoring my gawking.

"W-w-what do you mean, 'strip'?" I stammer, my face flushing red as a tomato, I'm sure. I don't move a muscle.

"I mean, change into the clothes inside that box," Gauron clarifies. "What dirty thoughts were you thinking, Kashim?" He stops in his tracks for a moment to flash me a cocky grin.

"N-nothing at all, I was just unsure about what was in the box, that's all." I glare furiously at my lap.

He sighs, shaking his head before entering the bathroom. Before he closes the door, he says through the crack, "Don't worry, Kashim. We'll have plenty of time later to fulfill your fantasies."

"What fantasies-!"

Fuming, I fall back onto the bed, deep in thought. _The way things are going, I'm definitely not keeping my word to the Captain when I told her I'd stay away from Gauron…at least this way it'll be easier to monitor what he's up to. _

Resigned, I sit up and tentatively pick up the box. I pull off the lid and carefully lift the suit out of its container.

Yes, a suit.

Not once in my life had I ever worn one, as Gauron must have expected. Therefore, as I was unfolding the layers of clothing, I was completely stumped as to how to put it on.

"Honestly, Kashim, you're a genius in the battlefield, but when it comes to other things, such as _social events_, you're like a fish out of the water."

I whip my head around and find Gauron leaning against the wall, watching me. The last traces of the stubble on his chin have vanished. _So that's what he was doing in there._

He walks up to me, takes the bundle from my hands, then lifts a white button-down shirt from it. "Best be careful with this suit. The fabric is very fine, so it doesn't crease easily. One of the reasons I could keep it in this box without using an iron." He straightens the shirt out. "And it was worth it to catch your reaction." A smirk.

"Shut up. Just tell me what to do, and I'll put the damn thing on myself." I grit out from behind clenched teeth.

"Well then, take off your shirt. Or, do you need some assistance with that, too?"

"I-I'm fine." I lift my shirt over my head, all the while aware of Gauron's gaze on my chest. I toss the shirt aside and glance back in his direction. He still has his eyes fixed on my upper body, and by the way he's smiling, I know that his mind's not up to any good.

"Instead of standing there and staring rudely, would you mind if you handed me the shirt already?"

"Of course, Kashim." Gauron gives me the dress shirt, and I slide my arms into it before buttoning it up. "It's just that your body looks so…delectable."

My face flaming, I straighten the collar of the shirt and grab the jacket out of his arms without a word. I finish dressing minutes later, with Gauron silently watching all the while.

God, doesn't he have anything better to do than scrutinize people while they're dressing?

"Let's go," I say, heading out the door, without looking to see if he's following.

"Wait, Kashim, your tie's crooked." He spins me around, then leans in to inspect the thing before adjusting it accordingly.

_His face is too close_, I think frantically. I instinctively pull my face back from his.

Gauron catches this action, of course, because nothing escapes his hawk's eye. "What's the matter, Kashim? Are you possibly _nervous_ to be so close to me?" Gauron sneers.

"Of course not, don't be preposterous."

We lock eyes with each other, Gauron with his infuriatingly bemused expression, and I with my unwavering one. At least, I hope it was.

"Well, let's see if this'll change that."

And I feel his lips pressed against mine.

For a moment, I'm standing there, stunned, as Gauron kisses me, his desire overwhelming. My mind is in a whole other dimension, like I was injected with the painkiller they sometimes gave soldiers when wounded in battle. But then I realize whose lips are on mine, and my mind snaps back to reality. I shove him away violently.

"W-w-what did you think you were doing?" I shout angrily. I wipe my mouth off wildly, but some hidden part of me deep inside is berating me for pulling away.

"Just enjoying my appetizer," Gauron grins. "Because, of course, there'll be more to come later. When we're _alone_."

And with that, he heads down the hallway, leaving a dazed expression on my face, one, I hoped, contained no trace of the longing I felt.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Approximately thirty-seven minutes later (according to my MTM* military-grade watch I'd received from the Captain as a present on my birthday), Gauron and I returned back to our cabin. Dinner had been a complete disaster.

First off, I'd managed to attract many unwanted stares from around the dining room. Apparently, many of the wandering eyes were bewildered as to why the Captain himself would choose to dine with a boy who had none of the aura the rich gave off. At least, that was what Gauron said later. Personally, I didn't quite care what others thought of me, unless it was concerning comrades who would fight with me in battle, to which it would benefit me to at least act pleasant in order to avoid getting a knife stuck in my back.

Secondly, the food was much too rich. Rich for me meant strange. I mean, how was a normal person supposed to know what 'Consomme Olga*' was? Or what the chefs meant by making a dish called 'filet mignons lili'? The only food I'd managed to eat during the course of the meal was the lamb and the roast duckling, though why anyone would want to put that in applesauce was beyond me.

And the last complaint regarded Gauron. If he hadn't been there, perhaps the first two problems I had had with the dinner might not have been so bad. But apparently, he found some twisted pleasure in seeing my squirm and uncomfortable. Noticing how almost everyone in the room had their eyes turned on us, he made a pointed effort to dote on me while I was eating.

"_Oi, Kashim, you shouldn't leave so much food behind. It's such a waste. Here, say 'aah'…" Gauron croons devilishly while simultaneously holding up a forkful of brownish whitish slime to my mouth. _

"_Stop that," I hiss under my breath. Already, people are whispering. I didn't quite care, but being treated like a baby was infurirating._

"_Don't worry, it's just oyster. Nothing poisonous, I promise." _

"I wasn't worried about that! Show a little restraint, would you?"

I surely was never going to eat with Gauron again.

We reach our room, and I reluctantly enter.

"Don't you have some…duties that you have to attend to as Captain?" I inquire, hopeful.

"Are you possibly trying to get rid of me for the night?" Gauron grins. "But no, my crew is skilled. They can handle it themselves. They were personally hand-selected by me, after all."

"Hmph."

We silently get ready for the night, going our separate ways. I'm done in a matter of minutes.

Gauron returns from the bathroom not long after to find me standing there, staring at the bed.

"Where do you suppose I…sleep?" There's only one bed.

"Why of course, you sleep with me." Gauron smirks at my face, which turns beet red after realizing the double meaning of the phrase.

"Shut up," I growl. "I'd rather sleep in the cargo hold."

Gauron coos in a singsong voice, "Kashim, have you forgotten how many passengers are on this ship? Should I remind you of the figure, as it seems you've forgotten?"

_Coward. Devil. _

"Fine," I spit. "I'll sleep in this room."

"Nice choice."

He flips the light switch, then climbs into bed, scooting over to the wall. He's obviously expecting me to join him.

Bending down carefully, I slide stealthily underneath the bed, which thankfully has plenty of space*, and better yet, a bed skirt, which provided me some privacy.

"Good night," I say, quite pleased with myself.

Gauron sighs. "Another one of your queer habits, I suppose? Honestly, you're so not cute." The bed frame creaks above me as he turns over.

My first victory since arriving on the ship.

I turn over on my side, facing the wall, then let my eyelids close slowly and peacefully, relief sinking into my bones, muscle, and soul. A rare, tranquil smile covers my face.

"Ungh!"

The shores of sleep were fast approaching a few moments ago. But suddenly, I'm jarred awake as a thunderstorm strikes in the form of Gauron. Rolling onto my side to face him, I see that he's rubbing his head in irritation.

"What are you doing down here? Go back to sleep!" I yell as softly as I can. I scoot closer to the wall and farther away from Gauron.

"So cruel, Kashim," Gauron chastises mournfully, "I was afraid that you'd be lonely."

"I'd rather die of loneliness that sleep beside you for a night."

Gauron smirks. "But you see Kashim, I can tell what you _really _want. Only I can give it to you." And he closes the distance between us, wrapping his broad arms around my shoulders.

I freeze in shock, my stomach clenching into a knot. _Pull away_, my mind screams. But my heart doesn't let me move a muscle. My breathing stops. Gauron's embrace grows tighter as he clutches me, pulling me into him until my back is pressed against his strong, firm chest.

"Kashim…"

And suddenly, I feel like crying. My heart is aching, like the indifferent shell around it is shattering. It makes me feel partly afraid, because never had I opened myself fully before anyone. Never had I made myself so vulnerable.

And yet, never had I ever felt so warm, so safe.

"G-Gauron," I whisper, softly.

His cheek is pressed against my neck, nuzzling it. His warm breath crawls along my neck and earlobes, sending a shiver up my spine.

Pressing closer against me, Gauron answers enticingly, "Kashim…"

"…I love you."

My heart stops beating.

"What?" I ask, stupidly. But he just smiles knowingly, running his tongue along the cross-shaped scar on my lower cheek slowly and deliberately, delighting in the sweet trembling it invokes from me. He bites my ear, nibbling on it like a cat. A flush of red spreads from my face to my earlobe, and I squeeze my eyes shut, secretly relishing every time we touch.

"Kashim," Gauron says, firm and resolute. His tone scares me for a moment. _Had I gone too far? Had I exposed too much of myself?_

I turn my head to face him. His eyes bore into me intently, piercing me straight through the heart as they shine with lust, even in the darkness.

"What is-" I start, but Gauron cuts me off with his mouth.

"Mmph…"

I catch my breath as he crushes his mouth against mine, kissing me with so much ferocity I struggle to regain control of my heart. My arms have gone limp, drained of all their former strength. My eyes gaze into his, wide-open, taking in as much detail as I can of his face up close. He stares back, just as intensely.

Gauron draws back slowly. I'm panting heavily as he does this, still overwhelmed by the passion of the kiss.

"Did you enjoy it?" Gauron croons. His hand disentangles itself from around me to reach up and stroke my hair, lovingly.

"As if," I lie halfheartedly.

Gauron laughs softly. "Well then, you're going to love this."

His lips lock against my own once more. Feeling slightly relaxed, I start to close my eyes and enjoy the kiss- because let's face it- by this time, resistance was no longer an option. Gauron had me trapped in the labyrinth of his affections, and I was just playing his game now. I press my mouth deeper into his, and, as if spiked on by this sudden response, a warm, moist foreign object slips its way between my lips. _Was that possibly…his tongue?_

Panicking, I bring my leg up to his groin and knee him sharply, a reflex.

"Agh!"

This attack takes Gauron by surprise, as he was so completely immersed in the mood. He grunts in pain and frustration.

"So you wanna play rough, huh?"

The weight of his body suddenly tramples me as he forces himself onto my chest.

"G-get off me!"

Gauron must've heard the uncertainty in my voice because he grins maliciously, replying in a syrupy-sweet voice, "You're the one who asked for this."

Then he leans into my shoulder and begins kissing my neck harshly.

A tingling feeling arises as attacks the nape of my neck with his mouth and tongue. Warmth spreads to my shoulder and the side of my neck as Gauron laps it with his tongue, tickling it. The sensation is almost too much for me to bear.

"Ahh…no…not there!" His ragged breath caresses my neck. He starts to suck on it forcefully, like a starving cat with a bowl of milk. Strangled and irregular, I struggle to inhale.

"Ungh…" My heart aches painfully from the overflow of emotions.

Gauron bends over my stomach. Lifting my shirt, he runs his tongue along the bare expanse of skin slowly, tantalizingly.

"S-stop it…" I grunt, trying to reach a hand up to bat his face away from my chest. He dodges it swiftly, grinning all the while like a Cheshire cat.

I feel a sharp bite.

"Agh!" Jolting forward, I squint through half-lidded eyes and find that Gauron has each of my nipples in his hands. He pinches.

Small pants and mewls escape from my mouth. I desperately try to hold them back, my hand covering my mouth, but to no avail. Gauron tugs with each hand before leaning over and giving one another bite.

"Delicious," Gauron smirks, licking his lips seductively, which only serves to make my chest flutter with butterflies.

"B-bastard…" I attempt feebly. By this time, my body has become so sensitive that even his touch against my chest causes a tightening feeling in my gut…that was my gut, right?

_Knock, knock_.

"Someone's here for you," I whisper, immensely relieved, and yet disappointed.

"Stay quiet," Gauron commands. He doesn't budge.

"But-"

There's a creak as the door opens, the sound managing to obscure the small, shocked outburst I make as Gauron presses his lips to mine to silence me.

"Captain Gauron? Are you here? I wasn't sure, so I knocked, but I didn't hear anyone…"

The crew member prattles on, but neither of us can hear him any longer. My lips are on fire as he runs his tongue along their outline before sinking into the depths of my mouth. The world stops around me; all I can feel is Gauron's mouth on mine.

Then he shoves his tongue inside.

This time, he's met with no resistance. Trying not to make any sounds as not to get discovered (under the bed with the Captain of the ship), I struggle to keep down the moans of pleasure that I want to let out as his tongue circles around mine. It explores every corner of my mouth, of my heart, to the point that when we finally part and I'm panting, trying to regain control of my spinning mind, I feel as if I have no more secrets, that I'm completely exposed. My chest feels warm, as does my flushed face.

"Devil. Fiend."

But Gauron's completely oblivious, beaming down at me from his position above. He peeks out from beneath the bed frame, lifting the bed skirt up as he does so.

Seeing no one in sight, Gauron crawls carefully out. I follow him shortly and see, too, that the crewman is gone.

Glancing sideways at Gauron's face in what I hope is an indiscrete gesture, I see a look of satisfaction on his face. Apparently he was pleased by the night's turn of events. And perhaps the expression on his face was what I was feeling on the inside, because it sure felt like it.

"Unfortunately, I can't escape my duties as Captain," Gauron begins after a short while, "so I'm going to have to leave you to yourself for a bit." He pulls on his white jacket, pants, and cap over his night clothes before strolling out of the room like a king in his palace.

Slowly, very slowly, I sink to the floor. Everything rushes to hit me in the face like a wave.

Had I really just made out with Gauron underneath a bed?

…What was Mithril going to do once they found out?

* * *

*MTM- A company that produces 'Special Ops' watches. I'm not quite sure if they are the genuine, military-grade watches, but they claim to be, and several of their watches range around $600. o_o;;

*Consomme Olga, Filet Mignon, Roast Duckling, Lamb, Oyster- Several foods I picked out after looking up the last dinner menu of the First Class passengers. This was the last meal they ate, and the final lunch menu which was recovered from the sinking was sold for more than $150,000.

*Bed- Look up pictures of the _Titanic_ first class cabins. The beds actually _do _have plenty of space- and bed skirts. (Though I reckon many of the pictures taken were from the _Olympic_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After Gauron leaves the room, I lay back down on the floor, troubled. Sleep is no longer a choice; too much has happened already that would prevent any chance of a restful night. Instead, I stare at the dark ceiling, absentmindedly brushing my fingers over my lips.

Gauron…

Drifting out here in the middle of the ocean, a terrorist piloting your ship, with no military support to back you up.

Was this, perhaps, bliss?

If it was, it might not be so bad after all.

At this thought, I feel slightly alarmed- the military had almost always been my life- even Gauron declared it so. How could I dream of leaving it? I'd be turning my back on the people who had kept faith in me!

But what if…Melissa was right? What if I needed a life outside of Mithril as well?

This idea unsettles me. Deciding that I don't wish to brood over this matter any longer, I quickly sit up and walk over to the ship's porthole. Carefully, I push it open.

The freezing, April night is breathtakingly beautiful. There's a slight, icy ocean breeze, but other than that, the sea is completely calm, completely tranquil. It's like a stained glass window- the ocean shines in an aquamarine essence as the moon spills its light onto its surface. I shiver, because although there's only a small gust of wind, the temperature is still dangerously low.

All of a sudden, I feel a rumbling beneath my feet.

Such a situation occurring on a ship in the middle of the ocean was definitely, definitely not good. _What was going on?_

The rumbling continues, increasing in tension. From outside of the porthole I hear a scraping sound, like something was brushing against the metal. Except that it wasn't _merely_ brushing. It was doing more than that.

The object soon moves past my porthole, and by its large, bulky mass, I identify it as an iceberg. _An iceberg!_ Several chunks of ice break off from the mother and fall into the cabin, serving as the proof of the event I'd just witnessed.

I didn't know what was going on, but one thing was clear: we'd scraped against an iceberg*.

I turn and run. Out the hallway. Into the elevator. I'm looking at my watch as I run, and the time reads 11:43 P.M. So we came into contact with the berg around 11:40*.

The elevator ascends much too slowly. As it climbs each level, I run through the basics of a ship in my head. _The _Heroic_ uses state of the art technology, obviously, because this is Gauron's ship. Therefore, it's bound to have watertight compartments. Hopefully, the iceberg didn't cause much damage, as most passengers are still sleeping._

The doors finally open, and I race to the bridge, the command center of the ship. No doubt that Gauron is already there. The impact of the collision wasn't intense, so maybe a number of people might not have felt it at this time of the night. But the ship's officers definitely would have. You don't get selected by Gauron to command a ship if you're inept.

As I enter, I'm surprised to only find three men there- Gauron, obviously, and two others. One is dressed in heavy layers of clothing. _Probably one of the crewmembers stationed on the deck,_ I think to myself. The other is holding several papers, discussing rapidly and urgently with Gauron, who looks fairly composed, although his eyes contain some sign of concern. _A rare emotion for Gauron, who never has any worries in the world._

"Gauron," I say loudly. The men turn towards me, bewildered to find a passenger in the bridge*, where only crewmembers are allowed, and especially one that would dare to address the highest-ranking officer without any honorifics.

"That's _Captain_ Gauron to you, Kashim," Gauron replies nonchalantly. "And I guess I can't count on you to sleep peacefully through this whole ordeal, can I?"

I snort, offended. "Of course not."

The man in the coat turns to his captain. "Excuse me, Captain Gauron, but are you acquaintances with this lad?"

"I suppose you could say that." Gauron sniffs.

"Well then, sir, there's nothing to worry about," the man continues, assuring, "we've got this mess under control. Now hurry back to your cabin before it gets any colder." He makes a feeble attempt at a smile.

"I don't think so," I say slowly. "I overheard him talking earlier." I gesture towards the man with the papers, fairly certain now that he was the one in charge of the ship's designing*. "He said that five of your precious watertight compartments are taking on water."

"So?" The coated man challenges. I spot Gauron out of the corner of my eye. He's silently watching, not making any commentary.

"So, _Mr. Lookout*_," I say, because the binoculars around his neck as well as his apparel have finally clicked in my head, "your ship isn't going to last much longer. I'd say, probably around one to one and a half hours."

The lookout turns, stunned, and casts an inquiring glance at the ship designer, who gives a solemn nod.

"Bravo, Kashim. I'd never expected anything less from you." Gauron steps forward and places his hand on my shoulder, his eyes twinkling with adoration. Then, turning to bark orders at his commanding crew, he declares, "Wake the passengers. Tell them that we're having a lifeboat drill, and all of them need to wear their life vests. Get a hold of the other officers as well; we'll need them to supervise the loading of lifeboats."

"Yes, sir."

The two men rush off, leaving Gauron and I alone to decide the fate of the _Heroic._

A pause. Then, "Nee, Kashim…if this ship turns out to be like the _Titanic, _would you go down with it?" He slowly bends down to rest his head on mine, thoughtful. "…Would you go down with me?"

His words catch me off guard. Gauron doesn't strike me as the type to be wistful, or one that would think of the future. He'd always been the spur-of-the-moment guy, one whose insane luck or skill denied him the passage to death. I decide to choose my words carefully, aware that Gauron's serious tone speaks the truth.

"I don't know," I find myself saying, "because I don't think that this will end in a tragedy."

"And why ever not? Aren't you the one who insisted on telling off the lookout and head designer of my ship?" Gauron smiles ruefully at the thought.

"Well, I know one thing for sure… as long as I'm still alive and breathing, I'm going to do everything in my power to prevent a disaster." My words ring with determination as I grow surer and surer with each word. "The people of this ship are counting on me. Captain Testarossa is counting on me. I can't let her down-and perhaps this'll make up for what I've done." My words are barely a whisper by the last sentence.

Gauron adjusts his position on my head. "Touching, truly touching."

"Somehow the way you say that makes me want to throw you overboard."

Gauron laughs. "Remember, _I'm_ the captain, Kashim. You follow _my_ orders."

I shrug him off, partly because I'm annoyed, and partly because the sound of voices have drifted out into the night air. Turning, we see several people in life vests heading onto the deck, grumbling and looking in no mood to perform a lifeboat "drill."

"They don't believe that the ship is sinking," I whisper. "Perhaps we should inform them of the situation and-" But Gauron cuts me off.

"Kashim, if we told them that the ship is going to sink in less than two hours, chaos would ensue, and people would be scrambling to get into the lifeboats. This way, while we still have a _peaceful_ crowd and not a _panicked_ crowd of people, we can fill the lifeboats much easier."

"Well, then, your wish is my command, _Captain_," I say sarcastically. "Have you sent out the distress call yet, _Captain_?"

"Done, done, and done. Though it would be nice if any of them were actually useful," Gauron remarks bitterly. "We received a telegraph from seven ships, the farthest being five hundred miles away*, and the closest being forty-nine miles*."

I think this piece of information over. _Forty nine miles…even if the ship headed our way as fast as they could, they wouldn't arrive in time…_My heart beats more rapidly. The thought of not making it off this ship alive was very, very likely.

"I'm going to go and save as many people as I can," I declare suddenly to Gauron, before running out of the bridge. Making my way to the deck, where the crowd is centered, I race to an officer who is busy supervising the loading of lifeboats.

"Excuse me, sir, I'm here on the authority of Captain Gauron," I start. "I wanted to know if there's anything I can do to help out."

"Huh?" The officer asks stupidly. "Look, kid, I kinda got my hands full with these people right now, you mind asking someone else?" He pauses for a moment. "Though I doubt the ones not loading the lifeboats are any more available than I am…"

I try my best to suppress a growl of frustration. "Well then what do you-," I start. "Wait a minute, why not?"

"This is a lifeboat drill people, we need to load the lifeboats! Ladies and children first, please!" The officer shouts at the crowd. Without even turning around, he says, loudly, "There's a ship in our near vicinity about ten miles away*. But it's not responding to any of our calls for help. Several of our men are already trying to fire distress rockets. Now shoo, shoo." He starts to help a woman in a dark red dress into the lifeboat.

_A ship not responding to our calls for help? What had gone wrong?_ _And why had the universe chosen to place a ship nearby that could potentially save us, but ironically, wasn't even replying?_ Running over to the edge of the deck on the starboard side, I squint my eyes and peer very closely at the horizon. At first, I see nothing.

Leaning dangerously over the ship, I stare once more, looking for any sign of a light. _No…not there…wait! There!_ A faint row of lights, twinkling in the distance. At this distance, they would be able to spot any rockets fired from our ship!

Just as I'm heading back to the bridge to inform Gauron, I hear a boom.

"Look, fireworks, Mommy!" A little girl near me cries.

"Hush, little one," The mother replies. Her face contorts into an expression of worry.

The flash of white light streaks across the night sky. _There, it's impossible to miss that. We're going to be rescued. We will. We _will.

_We have to._

* * *

_*_Iceberg- Prior to what most people think, the _Titanic_ only scraped against the iceberg on its starboard side; it wasn't a collision, therefore many sleeping passengers were not awakened by it. However, the damage was large enough.

*11:40 PM- On April 14th, 1912, the _Titanic_ made contact with the iceberg at 11:40.

*Bridge- The navigation center of the ship. It housed the switches to shut the watertight doors.

*Ship's designing- The real head designer of the _Titanic_ was Thomas Andrews. He and Captain Smith conducted a tour of the ship after the iceberg made contact with the ship, and it was he who declared that the ship would only survive for another hour or so. He died in the sinking.

*Lookout- The lookout of the _Titanic _was named Frederick Fleet. He was the one who spotted the iceberg.

*Five hundred miles- The ship who responded five hundred miles away was the _Olympic._

_*_Forty nine miles- The ship who responded forty nine miles away was _Mount Temple_. However, the first ship to arrive was the _Carpathia_ (58 miles away, and although her normal speed was around 14 knots, Captain Rostron of the _Carpathia_ managed to push it to 17.5).

_*_Ship about ten miles away- This mysterious ship is said to have been the _Californian_.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

After the rockets are fired, the tension in the crowd increases dramatically. Those who were unwilling to believe that anything was amiss before are suddenly scrambling to secure a spot in a lifeboat. The crewmembers are at their wit's end trying to control the crowd. And from my place near the side of the deck, I can still pick up bits of pieces of conversation.

"I thought this was just a drill!"

"God himself could not sink this ship…*"

"Hold on for your lives, the ship is tilting, I say!"

And indeed it was. It was very subtle- you had to be paying close attention to feel it- but there was definitely a list to port. Of course, 'holding on for your lives' was really quite unnecessary, but people tend to dramatize things when faced with reality. Perhaps if they would open their eyes more and accept a situation more readily, they would find that-

"Excuse me, mister, but I beg of you to help me!"

A tug at my sleeve brings me falling back down to earth. A girl of about ten or twelve with short, cropped brown hair searches my face, her eyes filled with sorrow and desperation. I smile reassuringly and bend down, a hand on her shoulder.

"What is it that you need?"

She swallows. "M-my family boarded this ship with second-class tickets. We had a servant with us as well. But we was riding third class." A sob. "Please mister, please help save him!" Her words tumble out, mixing together and causing my head to spin in confusion.

"Well, I'd be happy to help you," I start in a voice that I hope is gentle and soothing, "but I don't seem to understand- why is he in danger? Considering the state this ship's in, I would say that we are all equally in danger."

"But you don't understand," she wails. "Peter is trapped. They're all trapped. Some are lucky- they managed to escape- but several of the third class passengers have been blocked by the gates*."

* * *

Despite the bitter cold, sweat pours down my neck and back as I sprint down staircases, through hallways, into elevators. After having promised the small girl that I'd return her servant back to her, I'd entrusted her to an officer to protect, having seen her parents nowhere around.

How could they…how could Gauron practically steal away the lives of some people? I'd thought that perhaps he'd grown a heart since the last time we'd met! Thoughts race through my mind, most of them along the same line.

_But what if Gauron hadn't known about the gates? Perhaps he'd ordered them to be taken down, but the crewmen had forgotten…and besides, the gates were probably meant to hold back the mixing of lower classes with higher ones…_

I skid to a stop just as I'm rounding a corner. Loud shouts can be heard, as can the ringing of metal. Taking a few more steps forward, I see a tall, barred steel gate tower in front of a pack of frenzied passengers, shouting and demanding to be let through. The barrier does not budge.

I boldly walk towards them. At the sight of someone on the other side of the gate, one man yells, "Let us through! Please! We have children with us!" Which, upon further inspection, I see is true.

"Alright!" I yell in a loud and commanding voice. Slowly, the chaos dies down as plan forms in my mind.

"I have a way to let you all through! But it's risky to be standing near the gate, so I want all of you to head around that corner and crouch down, with your hands covering your ears, just as a safety precaution."

You can tell by the looks on their faces that they are skeptical, but the passengers do as they are told, walking in huddles, afraid of what's to come.

Reaching inside my pocket, I pull out a hand grenade. _Good thing security didn't catch me bringing this on board. _

I remove the safety clip, then hold the grenade in my right hand. Backing slowly away from the target, I pull the safety pin out with my free left hand, then toss it with deadly aim at the barricade before ducking behind the nearest wall.

_BOOM._ There's a magnificent explosion, perhaps not a large, grand scale one a real bomb would give, but that wasn't my intention anyways. I peek back around the corner, and see, relieved, that the gate has been torn apart, debris lining the floor. The walls haven't been too damaged, and thankfully the floor hasn't either.

"It's safe to come out now," I call.

The passengers tentatively creep out from behind their hiding places and, having seen the spectacular end result, whoop and cheer.

"Be careful for the debris. You never know, perhaps you won't die from drowning, but from tetanus."

Hearing this startling statement, they slow down their pace, scanning the ground for any scrap metal. And Gauron said that _I_ couldn't take a joke.

Having remembered the little girl waiting on the deck, I suddenly ask, "Wait a moment. Is there a Peter Allen here?" For an awful moment, I wonder if I accidentally blew him to bits with my hand grenade.

"I'm Peter Allen," A tall, blond boy replies, moving towards me. "Is there anything you need? Or…perhaps, you heard of news about Miss Esther?" He asks a bit too quickly.

"If you're talking about a little girl of about ten with short brown hair, then she's fine. She was the one who asked me to come down here and rescue you," I say.

"Thank goodness," Peter sighs, relieved. "I was hoping that she would escape ahead of me on a lifeboat."

"Well, I don't know about that, but she's in the protection of an officer, so she's guaranteed to have a spot."

"I don't know how I can repay you," he says, his voice filled with emotion and gratitude, "I am but a poor servant, but if there's anything you need, just give me a call."

"I'll think about it. But, in the meantime, could you possibly enlighten me as to the situation of the ship right now? Like…perhaps the water level?" What if I'd come down here all for naught, and we were going to drown anyways?

Peter's expression becomes grave. "The water has risen already above the C deck. In a matter of minutes, it will start flooding onto this very floor. I suggest that you escape now, if you want to have any chance of making it." He starts to look fidgety, looking this way and that. _He wants to see to Esther,_ I think to myself.

"Not quite," I say, smiling sadly. "There are still a few more passengers to be liberated. Esther told me there was a gate on the other side of the B Deck, and I'm going to head there right now. You see to your precious friend."

And with that, I turn on my heel, running as fast as I can as the watch on my hand advances a minute.

* * *

*"God himself could not sink this ship."- A quote which is said to have spoken by a _Titanic _crew or passenger, but there is no evidence.

*Third class gates- Okay, so here's my big fallacy. I researched this a bit. In the _Titanic_ movie, apparently there was a gate that trapped passengers. However, a PowerPoint by Cathy Akers-Jordan (who researched this a bit further, even citing sources from survivors) has said that, if there were any barriers at all, they were not so high as to trap anyone behind them. I just incorporated this in there to further dramatize the situation.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The ringing from the second explosion still lingers in my head as I climb up a ladder, probably the last person below decks. _I wonder if they will have any lifeboats left by the time I make it up there…probably not. At least I know Captain Testarossa and Chidori will mourn my death._

Bursting free, I let the chilly, night air run through my hair before stepping onto the boat deck. Indeed, there is not a soul there. _Everyone has made it…thank goodness._ It's 2:10 on my watch when I settle onto one of the deck chairs, resigned to my fate, because not a boat is left aboard.

"KASHIM!"

G-Gauron?

I whip my head towards the sound of the voice, and I see him. Gauron. He's storming over here, and never before has he looked so…_pissed._

"_Kashim!_ Where were you? You weren't on any of the boats! Why didn't you board one? Do you know how infuriating you are?" He rants on, his face contorted in an expression of pure anger.

"Well, I'm here now. I kind of had to free some passengers trapped below."

"Screw the passengers! Kashim, don't you _dare_ disappear like that again. I swear that if you do, and you manage to make it out alive, I'm going to kill you," Gauron takes my face in his hands and locks his eyes with mine. And suddenly I realize something.

His eyes. They weren't filled with anger, but with anguish.

"You were worried about me?" I ask in disbelief. "Why would you be-"

But once again, fate interrupts us. The stern of the ship is slowly rising higher and higher, and with it, furniture begins to slide as well.

"Grab onto my hand," Gauron commands immediately.

I immediately latch onto it.

"On the count of three, I want you to jump with me, right there." Gauron points at a patch of deep, dark, and probably freezing cold ocean. "It's the closest place to a lifeboat that won't get us crushed by the funnels or sucked into the propellers*. When you surface, call for me, and we'll swim to the lifeboat."

"You're crazy," I say, dumbfounded. "If we miss the target, then we'll definitely be crushed by that first funnel."

"Just trust me on this." Gauron says. Then he smiles at me, softly. Startled, I look away, blushing. _Who knew Gauron had a gentle side to him?_

"One."

The chair beside me starts to skid across the deck, crashing into tables and other pieces of furniture.

"Two."

I don't realize I'm holding onto Gauron's hand with a death grip until he squeezes back, a squeeze that sends reassurance through my body. _We'll make it. _

"Three!"

_We have to._

We jump. It's 2:17 when our feet leave the deck and the stern of the _Heroic_ points skyward, like a prayer to heaven.

* * *

Thousands and thousands of needles enter my body. Writhing in pain, my body numbs as I lose my senses slowly, succumbing to the darkness. _It's cold*. It's cold. Where is Gauron?_ I can still feel his hand on mine. _Is he cold too?_

He squeezes my hand. _Swim, Kashim, _he's saying. _Swim with me._

With Gauron?

We're going to make it? The funnel hasn't crushed us?

Intense joy and relief floods through my body, warming it enough to allow my arms and legs to paddle. _We're almost there. We're almost to the top._

_Just a bit more, and we'll be free. _

Then I feel Gauron's hand slip from mine. _No! Don't let go! Don't leave me!_

The water encircles me, stealing my senses as it drags me deeper and deeper, before dealing a final blow to my chest that sends a jolt like lightning through my body.

Gauron…

I black out.

* * *

_Complete darkness. It surrounds me like fog- no, like smoke, so suffocating is it._

_But who is that figure over there? His broad back, his firm, set shoulders, the confident and arrogant look on that face…could it be…Gauron?_

"_Gauron! Wait for me!" I call out to him. _

_But he only stares. His eyes…they're scary…so piercing, so cold, filled with disdain…_

_He turns his back. _

"_No! Stop! Gauron!" _

"_GAURON!"_

* * *

"GAURON!"

I sit up quickly, shivering. _Why is it so cold?_

"Welcome back from the dead, Kashim. Did you have a nice dream about me?"

He's sitting right behind me, or perhaps to my side. Wait. Was my head in his lap?

I pull away quickly.

"W-what…what are…we doing…?" I ask, realizing that because of the intense cold, my teeth are chattering. I look around me. We're in a boat of some sort, and other people are sitting in the boat as well. Some are facing my way, though the expressions on their faces are hard to make out in the darkness.

Wait. Darkness? But what had happened to the _Heroic?_

Suddenly, the memories come flashing back to me.

"I…I was drowning…!" I splutter. "And you let go, Gauron."

"Correction, _you _let go, dear Kashim. You were struck in the chest with a piece of falling furniture, and I went back to retrieve you," Gauron insists.

"R-Really…"

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to stifle the cold. That's when I notice that Gauron's white jacket is strung around my shoulders.

"This is your jacket…aren't you freezing?" I ask him.

"Perhaps if you shared some of your body warmth, I'd be a bit warmer."

Then he pulls me into his chest, his arms tightly around my body.

At first, I sink into his chest readily, inhaling the sharp odor of cigarettes. My heart finally relaxes, the stress flowing out of it and dispersing in the night air. I burrow my head into the corner of his neck, taking up a position in his lap. _Okay. So what. I'm just cold, that's all._ Then I notice his arms are trembling.

"G-Gauron…?" I ask, hesitantly. He flinches, not saying a word.

Not wanting to further interrogate him, we just sit in total silence for a moment, save a few voices from other passengers drifting across the sea.

Then he finally speaks up.

"I thought I'd lost you once, Kashim. Back on the ship. I was trying to convince myself that it was _you,_ that you would never die, even when I tried so hard in the past to kill you."

"Thanks," I mumble.

"But," he continues, ignoring me, "that little piece of doubt in my mind kept tugging at my chest. Perhaps because I'd come so close to losing you before, when you passed out earlier, I finally broke." He pulls me away from him to look me in the eye. His are filled with uncertainty and hesitation, two things I'd never expect to see in them

"Perhaps this doesn't sound like me at all, Kashim. Perhaps you'll go on through the rest of your life and continue believing that I'm a raving, mad lunatic whose goal is to destroy the world. But if only you would _understand_, Kashim…"

He stops talking. I don't say a word back. We just sit there, opposite from each other, staring into each other's faces. Then he looks away, into his lap.

"I'm glad."

Startled, Gauron asks, "What?" He scans my face for any sign of deception. There isn't any.

"I'm glad," I say, my words spilling out before I can hold them back in, "because I think…I think that I'm in love with you."

Seconds pass, and the reality of what I'd just said hits me in the face. I bring my hands up to cover it. "Agh…I mean…what I meant is…"

"What did you mean, Kashim?" Gauron asks, his traditional smirk starting to show. He takes my face in his hand, pulling it closer to his so that he can stare straight into my eyes. "Continue."

"W-what I mean is…is that I'm glad b-_because_ you're worried about me, and so-"

His lips crash against mine, our clumsiest kiss yet, but also the most…_real_ one.

Me, in Gauron's arms, my fingers clutching his hair, our bodies pressed so close that we can feel each other's heartbeats, each one rapid and completely in sync. The universe holds its breath as Gauron's warmth floods into my passion-filled blood.

Finally, by what seems like hours later, we draw apart. I sink lower into his lap, my hands resting on his arms, which are entwined around my waist.

He gives a sigh of pleasure. "So I guess the plan did run smoothly, after all…" He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

My eyes fly open. "Wait. What plan?" _He deceived me to get me to confess?_

"Calm down, calm down, Kashim. Everything I said just now is true. I'm talking about the sinking of the _Heroic_. You didn't seriously believe that a ship in my command would just randomly run into an iceberg, did you?" Gauron looks at me, appalled, and slightly offended.

"Wait…then…that means…you sank this ship on purpose? You endangered so many lives just for the sake of your fun?" I ask, my voice ringing with disbelief. _I should've known that something like this would happen…_

"Well, I was just a bit curious, you see. About what would happen if I reenacted the _Titanic_, you know, the tragedy, with us as the main actors." He grins boldly. "And perhaps things didn't turn out quite as I intended…I didn't think you would be so determined to play the part of the hero, Kashim. But a little improvisation isn't always _too_ bad. Though you almost gave me a heart attack."

All the while that he's ranting on and on, my mind is just reeling in shock, my mouth completely agape. _How could he…_

Then another thought occurs to me. "You. You sent that fake letter to me, didn't you? Don't deny it, I know you did it."

"I'm not denying anything, Kashim."

"But how did you manage to pull it off? That was an official envelope from Mithril. It was even stamped!"

"I've captured at least one or two Mithril ships, Kashim. And they're always equipped with a postal room. It's pretty easy to figure out that their envelopes are navy blue when the entire room is covered in navy blue envelopes," Gauron explains matter-of-factly. "Honestly. You'd think that a such a 'top-secret military organization' would learn to change the ways their letters are sent after having some of their own ships captured.

"Writing the letter wasn't hard either- honestly, that little lady Captain was so annoying, always hanging around you…"

I don't hear a word he's saying. Exasperation has taken over, and I'm so tired that I don't even have the energy to shiver anymore. Gauron looks down, noticing the lull in conversation.

"Sleep, Kashim," he whispers in my ear. "I'll protect you."

Only half-awake now, I reach up and pull him closer to me, snuggling into his lap.

"You're warm, Gauron…"

A laugh. "Idiot…I'm soaking wet."

* * *

*Propellers, funnels- Many passengers died that night jumping off the ship and getting sucked into the propellers or crushed by the funnels.

*Cold- The water that night was at a temperature of 31 degrees. One could suffer from hypothermia if staying in it too long.

* * *

**Well, that's the end of my first fanfiction ;w; (yes, my first!) **

**I know I have plenty of room to improve on, but I wanted to be sure to post it today, so that hopefully people will remember the _Titanic _on its 100th anniversary, and always. **

**Sorry about the rushed story. I have a tendency to do that. I've never published any complete, prose writing online before, much less a romantic fanfiction.**

**To all Full Metal Panic! fans, and _Titanic_ fans. May the _Titanic_ and the families of the people aboard live in peace.**

* * *

**Wow! A review already ^ ^ (My first!) Thanks to The0Hidden0Key, you made my day :)**


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